Ministers and MLAs Protest Outside Jharkhand Assembly Over Nomination Discrepancy
Key Points:
- Technical flaw found in Parimal Nathwani’s nomination during scrutiny
- Congress ministers and legislators sit on dharna outside the Assembly
- Party vows to continue stir till papers are cancelled or flaw settled
RANCHI – The political temperature outside the Jharkhand Assembly rose sharply on Wednesday as Congress ministers and MLAs sat on a dharna demanding cancellation of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani’s nomination.
The trigger was the scrutiny of nomination papers. Officials reportedly detected a major technical discrepancy in Nathwani’s documents.
A mismatch in the name has been cited as the core issue. However, the veteran candidate is contesting as an independent. He enjoys the support of the BJP-led NDA camp.
Soon after the flaw surfaced, the Congress opened a direct front. Several heavyweight ministers, legislators and senior leaders squatted outside the Assembly complex.
Moreover, the party has linked its agitation to the rules. “Violation of norms will not be tolerated at any cost,” a senior Congress leader said at the protest site.
The leaders declared that their stir would continue indefinitely. Besides, they set two clear conditions for withdrawing it. Either the name discrepancy must be fully resolved, or the nomination must be rejected.
The fight is part of the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections in the state. The Congress has fielded Pranav Jha for the seat. The party is banking on JMM, RJD and CPI-ML support.
Meanwhile, Nathwani is no newcomer to the upper house. He has earlier represented Jharkhand in the Rajya Sabha twice. He also later won a term from Andhra Pradesh.
In addition, the corporate veteran serves as a top Reliance Industries executive. His candidature this time has sharpened the contest considerably.
The BJP has not formally fielded its own nominee against him. On the other hand, the Congress has accused the ruling side’s rivals of bending rules. The party has lately protested aggressively on several issues across the state, including rail disruptions. Nationally, its president recently filed his own RS nomination from Bengaluru.
